When Kai Havertz joined Chelsea in September 2020, it was billed as a transformative signing. Here was a 21-year-old with all the attributes and potential to be a generational superstar; a player who, still in the infancy of his career, scored 18 and 20 goals in his previous two seasons for Bayer Leverkusen operating predominantly as a second striker or No 10.
Such was the hype surrounding Havertz that he was expected to join Real Madrid, only for financial constraints brought on by the pandemic to open the door for Chelsea to swoop in and complete a £62 million deal.
“Kai is one of the best players of his age in world football, so we are very happy that his future lies at Chelsea,” then Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said in Havertz's announcement statement.
And yet, just three years later, Havertz's future lies not with Chelsea but at their rivals Arsenal. The Premier League runners-up will, barring any unexpected last-minute hiccups, announce the 24-year-old Germany international as their first signing of the summer this week.
Chelsea may recoup the transfer fee they paid for Havertz – a key reason behind their willingness to sell as the club aims to balance the books after a record-breaking, £530 million spent on new players during the past year – but there can be no disputing that the German's talents were frustratingly wasted at Stamford Bridge.
There were various contributing factors to his largely underwhelming debut season; from requiring time to adapt and struggling with the after-effects of contracting Covid-19, to then manager Frank Lampard's failure to fit Havertz into his system. Still, it was salvaged by scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
Expectations were markedly higher for Havertz's second season. Under an elite manager in Thomas Tuchel and with the arrival of Romelu Lukaku to provide Chelsea a focal point in attack, the German should have been deployed in his preferred role as a second striker, providing creativity and goals in support of his new Belgian teammate.
Instead, an injury to Lukaku followed by an ugly fallout between player and manager saw the striker demoted to the bench, the lack of other attacking options forcing Havertz to fill in up front. He did a decent job, registering 14 goals in all competitions, but it was clear his technical and creative talents were being underutilised.
Chelsea 2022/23 season ratings
Then came the utterly disastrous third campaign. Once again, Havertz was shunted into the striker role as Chelsea set about signing 16 new players for more than half-a-billion pounds but somehow forgot to recruit a centre forward. Havertz scored just nine goals as he, and the rest of the Chelsea squad, contributed to a historically bad season for the club.
Such a financial outlay has backed Chelsea into a corner, particularly after missing out on Champions League riches, and it was inevitable one or two prized assets would leave this summer – in addition to the task of trimming a hugely bloated squad.
Mason Mount, whom just a year ago seemed destined to spend the best years of his career at his boyhood club, is the other notable player, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich both interested in the England midfielder.
As Havertz escapes the chaos at Stamford Bridge, he will find a much more stable environment at an Arsenal on a clear upwards trajectory. He will swap an unbalanced, inflated squad for a well-oiled machine filled with exciting young talent all pulling in the same direction and led by one of the best young managers in Europe.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has an excellent track record in the transfer market as the Spaniard continues to build a squad in his image, and plenty of thought would have gone into where Havertz will fit into his plans.
Arsenal 2022/23 season ratings
The German's versatility will come in useful as the Gunners return to the Champions League but expect him to be deployed mainly where his strengths are best utilised, operating behind the main striker.
Arteta could even view Havertz as a No 8, similar to the way Antoine Griezmann was used so effectively by France at the World Cup. He certainly has the intelligence and passing ability to excel in a deeper midfield role.
However it plays out, Havertz looks an ideal fit for Arsenal and Arteta, who should be able to help the German realise his monster potential.
Chelsea have been here many times before, regardless of manager, ownership or club structure. Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah – the Premier League's two best players for much of the past five years – were both discarded earlier in their careers, while Academy graduate Fikayo Tomori left to win Serie A with AC Milan.
Lukaku, for all the issues during his second spell, was sold for £28m to Everton, scored loads of goals, won the title in Italy with Inter Milan either side of a mixed spell at Manchester United, and returned for £97.5m.
There should be no surprises if Havertz becomes the latest in a long line of ones who got away.
